Court docs: Man killed in Vanc. shooting was walking away when shot
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VANCOUVER, Wash. – A Vancouver murder suspect shot another man several times when he began to walk away after a physical fight, a witness told police according to court documents.
Sean H. Doucette, 27, appeared in Clark County Superior Court Wednesday on a second-degree murder charge. His attorney said Doucette confronted the man in the street when he came home from work early Tuesday morning and saw the man breaking into his car.
Doucette's attorney said his client got into a physical fight with the man, took out his gun, and shot him in self-defense.
Friends and family told KATU News Tuesday night the person who was shot and killed was 19-year-old Iosif Dumitrash. Police confirmed that on Wednesday morning.
An independent witness told detectives that he or she saw both men fall to the ground during the fight. The two men separated and Dumitrash got up and began to walk away, which is when Doucette shot him, according to court documents obtained by KATU News.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office listed gunshot wounds to the chest as Dumitrash's cause of death.
KATU News called the office to clarify because court documents said the witness told police Dumitrash was shot while "walking away." A spokewoman with the medical examiner's office said if the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the back, it would have been listed that way.
The prosecution argued that Dumitrash was trying to get away and that deadly force was not justifiable.
Doucette’s wife called 911 and told the call-taker that her husband shot another man, court documents said. She told police that her husband got into a physical fight with the man, later identified as Dumitrash, and shot him with a pistol.
Neighbors told KATU they heard four shots fired. Court documents said "numerous" shell casings were found at the scene. The medical examiner's officer did not list a specific number of gunshot wounds.
At first police said it was a homeowner who shot a prowler near 150th Avenue and Northeast 33rd Street at 4 a.m., but by Tuesday afternoon, that homeowner, identified as Doucette, was taken to the Clark County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder.
A law enforcement source told KATU News Dumitrash was hanging out in a house with friends nearby, and that he left to "cool off." That's the last time they saw him.
When police showed up around the corner, friends and family waited and were worried it was the young man they called honest and trustworthy.
Doucette is a former Marine who worked as an armed security guard at First Response Inc., according to the company's president, Dave Foglio, who said Doucette had a clean record and was a good employee of at least four years.
Foglio said Doucette is licensed in Oregon to be an armed officer, has his own weapon and carries it home.
Doucette's bail was reduced from $500,000 to $250,000. His next scheduled court appearance is Feb. 12.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
I just want to know was this a handgun or an assault rifle?
yep, just another testosterone charged boy with a gun. Sad. I hope he gets prosecuted for murder.
Interesting to read the comments from the KATU site. The trend in thinking is different than here.
I was waiting for KOMO to turn this story around and blame the home owner for killing the "innocent" car prowler.
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Sorry this guy is being raked over the coals. Dumitrash might still be alive and kicking it he understood plain and simple not to take other peoples things. Stealing is lame and it is probably not his first time.
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I don't believe anything his friends say after they crossed police tape yesterday, shows a lack of boundaries and respect for authority.
This is a day and age where we must do extreme things to protect ourselves and our property. Guy leaves house to "cool off" and decides to just "break into a car"? Sounds like a real desireable individual---it used to be you just scared someone like that off but now they are armed and fight back as if they have every right to commit a crime--because its just a little one.
He was breaking into cars. Â He got what he deserved. Â
@FBrumfield -- there was a day in the wild west where shooting a man in the back was the sign of an abject coward.
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I guess in your mind shooting someone in the back deserves hero worship.
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The facts in this case are still coming out.  So let's let the facts decide the case and not the bravado of anonymous big mouths with opinions.
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The facts will be forthcoming, but here's some thoughts:
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There's no doubt that the guy who got shot was a breaking into cars, however if he was indeed walking away, the shooter appears to have crossed the line from defending himself and his property and let his anger and rage take over.
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As a Marine AND an armed security guard, he's trained to NOT allow his anger and rage take over when it's not appropriate.
 @FormerMarineSgt  @FBrumfield  "So let's let the facts decide the case and not the bravado of anonymous big mouths with opinions."
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Big Mouth? Â
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And yes it is my opinion that the punk got what was coming to him. Â In todays criminal justice system nothing would have been done to the guy. Â And yes it is also my opinion that a person has a right to defend his property. Â there is no telling how much he saved his neighbors and he may have saved one of their lives. Â If the guy will attack a grown man then I bet he would attack a woman or child to thieve what he wants.
 @Beam_Me_Up rp@FormerMarineSgt .......derp! If you read the article, it clearly states that "dumbtrash" was not shot in the back. In fact it says that twice.
@FormerMarineSgt Uhmm the medical examiner already confirmed he was not shot in the back, he has chest wounds.
thief shot dead?.....after he also assualted the vehicles owner.....guess he wont be stealing anymore cars?
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 Dumitrash got up and began to walk away, which is when Doucette shot him, according to court documents obtained by KATU News.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office listed gunshot wounds to the chest as Dumitrash's cause of death."
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Does anybody see a problem?
@Glassman The coroner says he was shot in the chest not the back. His friends are lying per the usual.
@Pollywannacracker -- the coroner's information is not published in any story that I've found. Where are you guys finding that information?
 @FormerMarineSgt  @Pollywannacracker The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office listed gunshot wounds to the chest as Dumitrash's cause of death.
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6th paragraph down.
 @Glassman People can walk backwards.Â
 @lakeview  @Glassman Especially when they're backing off from a fight with a stranger, and they don't know if they're gonna get attacked again.
 @lakeview You don't actually BELIEVE that do you? Oh wait.....
 @Harley-H.S.C. Actually, I don't know what to believe. But honestly, think about it. If you had just separated from a guy you were fighting, wouldn't you keep an eye on him and walk backwards a bit?
He was hit in the chest but was walking away, hmmm GOT IT.... He can only walk backwards.Â
 @Just my say Or he was backing away from someone who just accosted him...?
 @Jolly Yes, did not think of that, and anything is possible.Â
How the hell is it self defense if if he started to walk away? Own up to what you did! I hope he rots in jail. Damn coward!
 @Zoso He was shot in the chest. Do you walk backward after someone finds you breaking into their car?
 @Alex Clayton First of all, from what I'm reading, he was trying to walk away from the situation. If that's true, then the suspect could've scuffled with him a bit more before firing. Second, I don't recall it saying anywhere that he was trying to break into a car. Do you have a reading comprehension problem?
 @Alex Clayton Assuming you're an adult and not a 12 year old who should be in bed since he needs to get up and go to school the next morning, it's time for you to grow up. You can certainly quit trolling now.
@Zoso @Alex Clayton May want to check into some classes after work there. Then you could get a job where the register does not just have pictures.
 @Alex Clayton Oh that's an original statement. Don't give up your day job if that's really the best you can come up with.
 @pedrorocks Actually, my problem was reading the right story. Somehow I ended up on the previous story. Damn computer messin' around with me again I guess.
@Zoso @Alex Clayton Second paragraph: His attorney said Doucette confronted the man in the street when he came home from work early Tuesday morning and saw the man breaking into his car. Do You have a reading comprehension problem?Â
 @Zoso The thief was prowling cars and houses. Should have read the article yesterday. A neighbor had already called. glad the perp got lead poisoning.
 @Maynard G Krebbs Oh, this is that same story then, huh? Yeah, I should've known there was a reason why there was lack of facts on that previous story. THX for the info.
funny about those boomerang bullets.
So did the all the bullets ricochet off something and hit his chest if he had his back towards the shooter as he was walking away? Again, another intentionally miss-worded headline just to draw you into the article. Coroners are pretty good at determining the entry and exit wounds (if the bullets exited) of shooting victims. Just because someone stated in court what they think they saw at night something that conflicts with physical evidence does not mean it has to be in the headline.
 @Beam_Me_UpApparently the police have some reason to doubt Doucette's version of the events. Why else would we he have been arrested and charged?
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@Petwlkr @Beam_Me_Up The guys friends are sayig he shot him in the back. A bunch of punks covering for their loser buddy.
Lesson to burglars, thieves and criminals. We're fed up with your antics. Continue in your ways, and you could very well end up the same way as this guy did. Even though it sounds like there was a lot of misunderstanding here, had Mr Dumitrash not been breaking into someone's vehicle in the first place, he'd still be alive. You reap what you sow.
 @Harley-H.S.C. There's nothing in my car important enough for me to serve jail time.  I suspect my insurance deductible would be less than all the resulting bills from Doucette's shooting adventure.
 @Harley-H.S.C. You are assuming of course that Doucette is telling the truth about the attempted break in of his car. Considering he is currently in jail facing murder charges I think it's safe to assume that his version of events is up for debate; at least as far as the state is concerned.
 @Petwlkr I'll take the word of a former Marine and someone with a spotless record, over someone who breaks into cars (or their associates) ANY day.
 @Petwlkr  @Harley-H.S.C. read yesterday's article. A neighbor had already called in about a prowler in the neighborhood.Â